More to Love

by Alison Bliss

  She sniffled and swiped at the steady tears trailing down both cheeks. “It’s both. I’m sorry.”

  He stood, dusting off his knee. He’d been hurt a lot in his life, but none of it compared to the way she’d just torn his heart in two. “Is this your way of hurting me back, Jess? Because if so, let me tell you, it worked beautifully. I’m hurt.”

  She shook her head adamantly. “No, of course not. I don’t want to hurt you, Max.”

  “Yet, like you said to me…it didn’t stop you from doing just that.”

  “This wasn’t payback. Please don’t think that, Max.”

  “What the hell else am I supposed to think?” The woman he loved was standing right in front of him, and he couldn’t have her. It was fucking killing him. “Tell me why you refuse to marry me.”

  “Because you still don’t get it.”

  What the fuck was he supposed to get? “Baby, how do I know what it is you want from me if you don’t tell me?”

  She breathed out a hard, stuttered breath. “You. That’s all I want. I don’t need the restaurant or the pretty ring. What I need is you.”

  Max rubbed at his face. “You’re right. Then I just don’t get it. Because I just offered myself on a platter, and you snubbed your nose at it.”

  “No. What you offered was a diluted version of yourself and expected me to jump at the chance to have only a part of you. But I won’t settle, Max. If you only want to show the side of you that you think people will like, then that’s fine. But with me, it’s either all or nothing. There is no in between.” Another tear fell.

  Christ. Only then did he know what he needed to do. This was something he planned to share with her later once he got her alone, but it was clearly what she needed now. God, he hated being vulnerable. Especially with so many prying eyes on him. But he wasn’t going to risk losing her just to save his pride. He leaned down and picked up the brown envelope off the ground. He hadn’t even remembered dropping it, but he must’ve done so when she’d surprised him with her answer to his proposal.

  He held the envelope out to her. “The other day when I was standing inside your house begging your forgiveness, you asked me to sacrifice something that I wasn’t ready to give up. I planned to do this in private later anyway, but if this is what you need from me, then now’s just as good a time as any.”

  “What is it?” she asked, taking the envelope from him warily.

  “A part of me. A big part.”

  She opened the large envelope and slid out a blown-up photo of Max as a teenager. A very heavy, overweight teenager with severe acne, crooked teeth, and a mullet hairdo.

  “That’s what I looked like fifteen years ago when I was a teenager. I was the chubby kid who got picked on relentlessly all throughout my early school years. In high school, it only got worse.”

  “I’m sorry. Kids can be so cruel sometimes.”

  “I thought the same thing. And then I got out of high school and found that it didn’t get any better. Adults can be the same way. So I got a haircut, visited a dermatologist, got some braces, and then began a strict diet regimen and exercise plan that took off the extra weight.”

  “You didn’t have to do that for…those people. Who cares what they think?”

  “You’re right. The reason I lost weight was because I had a history of being bullied. But honestly, once I became more fit, I discovered I actually liked being in shape and didn’t want to go back to how I was before. Women gave me the time of day. Other men didn’t kick sand in my eyes. No one made fun of me.” He glanced over to Sam and grinned. “Well, except for that bastard, but he doesn’t count.”

  Several people chuckled, including Sam. “Someone has to keep that ego of yours in check, buddy.”

  Max grinned and glanced back to Jessa. “Here’s the thing though. I thought I had adopted a healthier lifestyle all those years ago, but I was wrong. I mean, I did physically. I ate right and exercised regularly, which changed the way I looked on the outside. But mentally, I still had my guard up and kept others at a distance. I told people what they wanted to hear rather than the truth about me.

  “Even the attention I received from women only led to a string of unhealthy sexual relationships that were never fully satisfying. Not because of whichever woman I was with at the time. It was all on me. I’m not proud of it, but I charmed women into my bed. But in the end, I was the one who was unsatisfied because I couldn’t seem to let down my guard completely with them.”

  “Why?” Jessa asked.

  “Because none of them ever challenged me to. And I needed that. Because I never risked anyone liking the real me. Hell, I think even I was starting to believe my own bullshit.”

  “After what you went through, I think we can all understand that,” Jessa said, sympathizing with him.

  “Maybe. But I never truly let go of the past. I may have changed the way I looked on the outside, but deep down inside of me, I’m still him.”

  Her eyes watered. “Oh, Max. That’s not true.”

  “It is,” he said, pointing to the photo. “I’ve always been that chubby kid who got into trouble because he was trying to keep others at a distance. The same one who hid himself away because he didn’t think people would like who he was. The kid who didn’t know how to handle himself when he was in an uncomfortable situation so he overate as a form of self-medication. But I learned something about myself. I am still him, but I’m also a better version. I can control myself.”

  She nodded. “Of course you can. You’re the strongest man I know, Max. You can do anything you put your mind to. But you don’t have anything to prove to anyone.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Jess.” He reached for her, threading his fingers into her hair around the base of her neck. He gazed lovingly into her eyes, wanting her to see the truth there. “I need to prove to you that I’m the man for you. The one who will love you forever and never let you go.”

  Her eyes welled up with tears again. “You’ve already proven that to me. It took a lot of bravery to show me this and face your past in front of a crowd of people.”

  His forehead lowered to hers, and he breathed out a sigh. “I don’t see anyone here but you and me…and that’s just how I want it. You and me. Forever. Please, baby, say you’ll marry me. I want you to be mine.”

  She swallowed hard. “Being with you is all I’ve wanted since I met you. I’m yours, Max.”

  “That’s a yes?” he asked, his heart swelling with hope.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes!”

  “Thank God.” Max caught her around the waist and lifted her, swinging her in a circle as everyone cheered and applauded his victory. “I love you, sweetheart.”

  “I love you too,” she said, laughing.

  He set her back down and closed the gap between them, covering her mouth with his. Almost instantly, several wolf-whistles came from the crowd, along with a couple of men telling them to get a room. Which Max planned to do as soon as he could talk Jessa into taking the day off.

  His woman. Forever.

  Damn, he loved the sound of that.

  Epilogue

  Max gazed around the renovated dining room with pride. The old café looked like a completely different place now that Jess had transformed it into her dream restaurant. The whole room exhibited an abundance of textures and patterns like the interior of some kind of romantic gypsy caravan.

  A huge chandelier hung in the center of the room surrounded by a canopy of bold red fabrics draped from the ceiling. Large gold medallions accented the walls between each arched window. Colorful glass lanterns trimmed with cascading jewels lit every table while throw pillows of rich hues and mixed prints decorated each chair. There was even a vintage dessert cart featuring pastries by Leah’s bakery.

  Jessa had finally done it. She’d thrown this new gourmet restaurant together quicker than anything he’d ever seen before, and it was absolutely beautiful.

  Two arms wrapped around his waist from behi
nd. “Why are you not helping the others?” a sultry feminine voice said. “Are you trying to conserve your energy?”

  He pulled Jessa around in front of him and nuzzled his face into her sweet-smelling neck. “You know it. I need all of it for later tonight after closing time. I have something for you, and I can tell you right now, it isn’t going to fit inside an envelope…even a big one.” He rubbed the hardening bulge in his pants nonchalantly up against her abdomen.

  She laughed and gave him a quick kiss. “It better be a penis.”

  He lifted his head and then his eyebrow. “A penis?”

  “Okay, your penis, if we’re getting specific.”

  “You’re my wife, Jess. You better damn well be specific when you’re talking about penises.”

  She grinned. “I still can’t believe we had such a shotgun wedding. I don’t think two people have ever married so fast.”

  “Well, that’s because your stupid brother wanted to do a double wedding ceremony.”

  “Max.”

  “What? Logan is stupid. He keeps threatening to hit me. I think he has anger management issues.”

  “Well, if you would stop instigating when it comes to him, then I’m betting he would leave you alone.”

  Max laughed. “Hell, where’s the fun in that?”

  “Well, just for the record, the double wedding wasn’t Logan’s idea. Valerie and I were the ones who came up with it. You said you wanted to get married right away, and they were the ones who already had a wedding mostly planned out. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Especially with us spending so much to open the restaurant.”

  “Speaking of which, it looks great, babe. You did an outstanding job.”

  Leah passed by them and gazed out the nearest window. “Wow! The line out there is halfway down the block. You’re about to get slammed, Jess.”

  Max gazed at his wife. “You sure you don’t want to be in the kitchen cooking tonight?”

  Jessa shook her head. “No, Mary and Lisa know what they’re doing back there and can handle it. Tonight I’m going to be out here greeting my customers and making sure everything is running smoothly. Besides, I want to make sure everyone is enjoying the new menu items. But I’ve already told Lisa and Mary to let me know if they need me though. I doubt there will be any problems. Those ladies are terrific.”

  Sam passed by carrying some extra chairs toward the dining room. “Val is about to open the doors. Might want to prepare yourself for a stampede.”

  Max and Jessa laughed. Who stampeded into a gourmet restaurant?

  Moments later, Valerie opened the doors, and a flood of hungry patrons filled the dining room. Jessa had hired a lot of new staff for her restaurant, but they were all experienced and knew what they were expected to do. Everything was under control and looking great. She totally had this.

  As she and Max watched the crowd entering, a couple waved at Jessa and the woman rushed over to give her a quick hug. “Hi, how are you?”

  “Hey, Cindy. I’m great. How are you?”

  “Wonderful. You remember Kevin?”

  “Of course,” Jessa said, nodding at him. “Have you guys met my husband, Max?”

  Max shook both of their hands. “Nice to meet you two.”

  “So you’re Max,” the woman said, giggling as she elbowed her husband who was grinning from ear to ear.

  “I am. I take it Jessa mentioned my name?”

  “Repeatedly,” the woman said, which made Jessa grin.

  After a moment, Kevin finally shuffled Cindy off to their table, and Max turned to Jessa. “Okay, what did I miss? Who the hell were those people?”

  “My old neighbors.”

  Max chuckled. “Oh shit.”

  “Yep, exactly what you’re thinking. They never met you in person, but they were very familiar with your name. Heard it plenty of times. Even said they felt like they almost knew you.”

  He rubbed a hand over his face. “Christ. That does it. We’re buying a house in the middle of nowhere.”

  Jessa laughed. “Oh, don’t act like you don’t love that you can make me scream loud enough that my neighbors hear every word.”

  He winked at her.

  They turned and looked out over the dining room together. It was a packed house, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so far. Jessa’s new dishes on the menu were going to blow these people away. And not only that, but she’d even made sure to come up with a few low-calorie entrées that were just as delicious as everything else she made.

  The rest of the gang crossed the room and joined the two of them.

  Leah smiled at Jessa. “Congratulations, Jess. You did it. You have officially opened your first restaurant.”

  Jessa shook her head. “No, we did it. All of us,” she said, glancing around at their closest friends. “Thank you all for your help. I don’t know what I would’ve done without your support. It means the world to me.”

  “That’s what we’re here for,” Valerie replied, hugging her.

  Sam nodded in agreement. “Exactly what friends are for.”

  Logan slung his arm around Max’s shoulders. “I think the six of us make a pretty good team.”

  Max smirked at the kind gesture by his new brother-in-law. He guessed eventually they’d learn to love each other. “Yep. I guess you could say we’re all a perfect fit.”

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Alison Bliss grew up in Small Town, Texas, but currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. With so much testosterone in her home, it’s no wonder she writes “girl books.” She believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it’s obviously meant to be. Alison pens the type of books she loves to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy or two. As she calls it, “Romance…with a sense of humor.”

  To learn more, visit her at:

  http://authoralisonbliss.com

  Facebook/AuthorAlisonBliss

  Twitter @AlisonBliss2

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